ITcon Vol. 11, pg. 311-324, http://www.itcon.org/2006/23

Integration of virtual reality within the built environment curriculum

submitted:July 2005
revised:December 2005
published:May 2006
editor(s):Kamara J M
authors:Margaret Horne, Senior Lecturer
School of the Built Environment, Northumbria University, UK
email: m.horne@northumbria.ac.uk

Neveen Hamza, Dr., Senior Lecturer
School of the Built Environment, Northumbria University, UK
email: n.hamza@northumbria.ac.uk
summary:Virtual Reality (VR) technology is still perceived by many as being inaccessible and cost prohibitive with VR applications considered expensive to develop as well as challenging to operate. This paper reflects on current developments in VR technologies and describes an approach adopted for its phased integration into the academic curriculum of built environment students. The process and end results of implementing the integration are discussed and the paper illustrates the challenges of introducing VR, including the acceptance of the technology by academic staff and students, interest from industry, and issues pertaining to model development. It sets out to show that fairly sophisticated VR models can now be created by non-VR specialists using commercially available software and advocates that the implementation of VR will increase alongside industry’s adoption of these tools and the emergence of a new generation of students with VR skills. The study shows that current VR technologies, if integrated appropriately within built environment academic programmes, demonstrate clear promise to provide a foundation for more widespread collaborative working environments.
keywords:virtual reality, built environment, integration, academic curriculum.
full text: (PDF file, 0.612 MB)
citation:Horne M and Hamza N (2006). Integration of virtual reality within the built environment curriculum, ITcon Vol. 11, Special issue Architectural informatics, pg. 311-324, https://www.itcon.org/2006/23